There currently exists an urgent need to remove hundreds of thousands of mines that have been buried in the desert in the Middle East. The mine-clearing techniques presently in use are expensive and time consuming, as well as dangerous. Tanks with heavy, front-mounted rollers are used to blow up mines, with the rollers having a life expectancy of about two hits. Tanks with front-mounted, V-shaped plows are also used to dig up or detonate buried mines, with the plows having a life expentancy of one hit on each side of the plow. Long line charges are also used in attempts to detonate mines, but these devices do not work well with the sophisticated trigger mechanisms used in modern mines. These mine-clearing techniques are not practical for the large scale removal required now. The situation is complicated further with crude oil covering large areas of mined land.
Others have attempted to use farmer's harrow devices and/or chains to dig out and clear mines, but these have been unsuccessful because they do not dig adequately, and they are easily blown apart.
There thus is a strong demand for a mine-clearing device that is safe, fast, and relatively inexpensive. There is also a demand for a mine-clearing device that can be used in all types of terrain.
In seeking to design a mine-clearing device suitable for extensive use in the Middle East the present inventor has also designed what turns out to be a very effective plowing system that requires only 1/3 the energy of prior art plowing systems for 6"-10" deep ground preparation. Consequently, this has generated considerable interest among farmers.
Obstructions have always been a problem when plowing--blades are bent or broken, rigid supports are bent, and the like. Thus, whether or not one is clearing mines or farming, there is a need for a plow that is not damaged when the blades snag on buried objects that will not readily move.